The Mineral Park in Hornes

An hour outside Kristiansand, in Hornes, is the spectacular Mineral Park. Built rock by rock, this park is meant to be a visual experience for people without any background or specific interests towards stones or minerals. Its main focus is to give the visitors a feeling of something real and not something which is plastic or man-made. When it was built, the wish was to create something new that would enrich and astonish.

Family Adventures at the Mineral Park
The park itself says that it wants to be seen as ‘stone cold crazy’, in the positive sense that they dare to do something nobody have done before them. There is no debate that the experience here is unique for the whole family. In the mountain halls, you can see more than a 1000 minerals from across the whole world. To not be impressed by these creations of nature, is almost impossible.

In the Mineral Park you can frisk about in the climbing forest, go for a guided tour in the tunnel, visit the sculpture park, carve your own stone figurines or make necklaces from the stones. A lot of its visitors find a treasure hunt in the mountains to be an exciting activity. Here you are given a map, and if all the puzzles are solved, gold awaits!

Hotel in Kristiansand’s centre
If you want to do more than visit the Kristiansand Zoo with your family, the Mineral Park is a perfect activity. Take the family rebus throughout the park or go exploring in the fairy tale stream (Eventyrbekken). Maybe you will wash out some gems, arrowheads, shells, fossils or emeralds, which you can bring home?

When staying at the Radisson Blu Caledonien Hotel, Kristiansand, the city centre is within walking distance. From here it is easy to catch a bus to all the attractions in the city’s outskirts, such as the Mineral Park, Sørlandssenteret shopping centre and Kristiansand Zoo. For a weekend away where you have all the elements of relaxation, leisure, culture and nature included, book your stay today.